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AVX Supplies CYR10 and CYR15 Glass Capacitors for NASA

March 02, 2005 by Jeff Shepard

AVX Corp. (Myrtle Beach, SC), a manufacturer and supplier of passive electronic components and related products, supplied NASA's Cassini-Huygens spacecraft, currently studying Saturn and its moons, with its CYR10 and CYR15 multi-layer, glass dielectric capacitors. The glass capacitors were utilized in communication and control of the Cassini spacecraft, as well as deployment and wake-up circuitry for the Huygens probe that recently landed on Saturn’s moon, Titan.

The CYR10 and CYR15 devices are designed to withstand extremely high and low temperatures and exposure to radiation. The materials and construction techniques used in the manufacture of the capacitors make them resistant to nuclear radiation, voltage breakdown and high operating temperatures. Glass capacitors are suitable for applications requiring radiation hardness and absolute reliability and endurance in severe conditions.

The fused monolithic construction of the glass dielectric capacitors provide a high Q factor and a low dissipation factor that changes little with frequency and temperature excursions. This, coupled with a low, retraceable, extended-range temperature coefficient ensures stable, reliable and repeatable electrical performance, regardless of the capacitors environment.